Sparks in my vision

I am 16 years old and have needed glasses since I was about 7. For the past year, I have been wearing contact lenses and I love them. I will admit that I wear them at night a lot, but never really had any problems. For the past month or two, I have been seeing sparks in my peripheral vision that resemble a shooting star of a lightning bug flying by. Sometimes, they are black and look like a fly flying by my head, but they only last about a second or two. They are not floaters, but more like a very bright pinpoint of yellow light, sometimes moving and sometimes stationary. I was wondering if my overuse of contact lenses could be causing this, and also what is it and what should I do about it?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Not likely contacts. See an ophthalmologist for a dilated retina exam. Find one near you at www.aao.org

JCH MD